Vehicle-wheel.



Patented Oct. 29, I90l.

C. MILLER.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

(Application filed June 19, 1901.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES ;INVENT% 4 4% 5 BY i Z M dTTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFiciE.

CHARLES MILLER, on BI'NGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

VEHlCLE WHEEL'.

SPEOEIIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,627, datedOctober 29, 19 01.

Application filed June 19, 1901.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicle-wh eels, having moreparticular reference to the rim, sectional pneumatic tire, and means forinflating the several sections of the tire.

The object of this invention is to produce a I ti re composed ofindependent inflatable sections connected to a removable air supply tubeencircling the rimof the wheel, whereby the several sections may besimultaneously inflated.

A further object of this invention is to arrange an automatically-closing valve between the air-tube and each of the inflatable sections,whereby the deflation of any one of the tiresections does not affect theremaining sec-- tions. v

A further object is to provide each of the sections with a removable capor cover, the several caps or covers being held in position byindependent clamping-frames and the adjacent ends of the clamping-framesbeing locked to the rim by the same securing means.

To these ends the invention consists in the combination, construction,and arrangement of the parts of a vehicle-wheel, as hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side "elevation, partly insection, of a portion of a rim having a series of inflatable sectionssecured thereto, illustrating the construction and operation of myinvention. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken, respectively, onlines 2 2 and"3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is atop plan, partly in section, ofthe parts seen in Fig. 1, one of the caps or covers being shown infulland the others in section, showing the inner inflatable sack. Fig. 5 isan enlarged sectional View taken on line 5 5, Fig. 4, showingparticularly the valve between the air-supply tube and one of theinflatable sections. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are isometric views showing,respectively, the inner inflatable sack,the outer cap or cover for thesack, and the-clamping- Seri'al No. 65,144. (No model.)

frame for engaging the cap or cover and holdin the same in position.

gimilar reference characters indicate corresponding partsin all theviews.

As seen in the drawings, my invention consists of a rim '1, a series ofinflatable sections 2 encircling the rim, an air-supply tube 3interposed between the rim and sections for simultaneously inflating thesections, an outer cap or cover 4: for. each of the sections, andclamping-plates 5 for securing said caps or covers and the inflatablesections in position. The rim 1 may be ofany desired material, ispreferably formed of wood or equivalent light material, is provided withan annular recess-or groove 6 in its periphery, and is also formed witha substantially radial opening 7 for receiving the air-inlet valve,andwith boltopenings 8, adapted to receive the clampingbolts which hold theclamping-plates in position.

The inflatable sections 2 are arranged end to end, one in advance of theother, around the periphery of the rim 1 and usually consist of rubberor other elastic bulbs, having their inner faces adjacent to the rimprovided with'inlet-openings9 and nipples 10, inclosing saidinlet-openings and projecting into the bulb. These inflatable sections 2may be of any desired form or size, the inlet-openings 9 being adaptedto receive the valvechambers of the air-tube 3 and the walls ofsaid'openin'g, forming-the nipple 1O, being arranged to fit closely uponthe walls of each of said air-inlet chambers for preventing the escapeof air through the openings 9.

The air-tube 3 encircles the rim 1, is removably supported in thegroove, or channel 6, and usuallyconsists of a rubber or equiva- ICOdrawings the tube 3 as divided transversely in proximity to the valve 10and the meeting ends of the tube as closed, yet it will be obvious thatsaid tube may be formed continuous, if desired, thus serving the samepurpose for simultaneously inflating the several inflatable sections.

The caps or covers 4: are usually formed of sufficient size toconveniently inclose the outer portions of the several inflatablesections 2, each of said caps or sections being provided with an openingin its base for receiving the corresponding sections. These several capsor covers are provided with base-flanges 14, surrounding the opening andprojecting laterally from the body of the cap or cover, being adapted tobe impinged between the clamping-frames and the periphery of the rim.The caps or covers form the wearing-surface of the inflatable sacks orbulbs and inclose the peripheral side and end walls of said bulbs.

The clamping-plates 5 preferably consist of open metallic frameshavinglongitudinal side walls provided with depending flanges 15,adapted to engage the lateral faces of the rim 1, these side walls beingprovided with depending spurs 16 and longitudinal shoulders 17 forengaging the longitudinal flanges 14- of the caps or covers 4. The endwalls of each of the frames 5 are provided with transverse shoulders 18and substantially radial grooves 19 in the end faces of the end walls,the shoulders 18 being adapted to engage the end flanges of the caps orcovers 4 and recesses or grooves 19 being adapted to receive suitableclamping-bolts 20, presently described. The openings in these frames areof sufficient size to receive the bulbs 2 and caps 4, and the spurs 16are driven through the caps or covers into the longitudinal edges of therim, thereby serving to prevent the spreading of the side walls of theframes when the bulbs or sections 2 are inflated. Itis evident from theabove description that these frames may be formed of very lightmaterial, such as sheet-iron or sheet-steel, being arranged one inadvance of the other around the periphery of the rim 1, the end faces ofthe adjacent frames being in close contact with each other. When thesections 2, caps 4, and frames 5 are placed in position upon the rim 1,the bolts 20 are inserted into the adjacent recesses 19, which togetherwith the adjacent recesses of the adjacent frame form suitablebolt-apertures which are alined with the apertures 8 in the rim 1, thebolts 20 being passed through the apertures 8 and provided at theirinner ends with suitable nuts 21.

The inner ends of the apertures 8 are preferably enlarged for formingrecesses 22, which serve to receive the nuts 21, and therebysubstantially conceal said nuts, thus forming a smooth surface on theinner face of the rim.

The outer ends of the bolts 20 are provided with heads formed of greaterarea than the apertures formed by the recesses 19 and engage the outerfaces of the adjacent ends of cease? the frames, thereby firmly lockingthe frames to the rim and at the same time impinging the flanges 14 ofthe cap or cover 4 between the shoulders Hand 18 and the periphery of Ithe rim, and thereby holding the caps or covers at and sections 2 intheir operative position. It is apparent from the foregoing descriptionthat should either of the sections 2 become punctured the air will onlyescape from that particular section and from the tube 8, which containsbut a small amount of compressed air, and therefore does not at feet theremaining sections. This is a particularly important feature of myinvention, and it will be readily understood that owing to theair-pressure within the several sections 2 and incidentally to thespring 11 the valve 12 of each of the sections is positively closed,except, as previously stated, should one of the bulbs become punctured.In this case in order to repair the injured member it is only necessaryto remove the frame securing that particular member in position,whereupon a new inflatable section maybe inserted and. the old capreplaced in position and clamped by its frame and the bolt securing thesame in position.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood uponreference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings,andit will be noted that some change may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-- 1. The combination with the rim of a Wheel, of aseries of independent inflatable sections encircling the rim,independent caps or covers inclosing the outer surfaces of the sectionsand detachably secured to the rim, a tube between the rim and sections,and detachably connected to each of the sections for simultaneouslyinflating the same, said tube being removable from the rim andautomaticallyclosing valves in said connections whereby the deflation ofone section does not affect the remaining sections said valves beingremovable with the tube.

2. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination with a rim, of a removableair-tube encircling the rim and provided with a series ofdischargenipples, automatically-closing valves in said nipples andremovable with the tube, a series of independent inflatable sectionshaving openings receiving the nipples, and a plurality of caps or coversinclosing the outer surfaces of the sections and detachably secured tothe rim and concealing the tube.

3. In a vehicle-Wheel, the combination with a rim, of a removableair-tube encircling the rim and provided with a series ofdischargeopenings, automatically-closing valves in said openings, aseries of independent inflatable sections communicating with saidopenings, caps or covers for the sections each having alaterally-projecting base-flange, independent flatable tire-section, ofa ca or cover inciosing said section and having a flange, and a 15'clamping-frame impinging the flange against the rim and provided withone or more spurs entering the flange and rim for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof -I have hereunto set my 20 hand this 26th day ofApril, 1901.

CHARLES MILLER. Witnesses:

BENirAMiN A. BAUMANiI;

